Categories: Sci/Tech

Fossil Found Shows that Cancer in Humans Dates Back 1.7 Million Years

Most people think that cancer is a relatively recent disease, but these fossils say otherwise!

A lot of people tend to believe that cancer is caused by toxins and poisons produced by the developed world. However, these fossils show that 1.7 million years ago, cancer was already a bane to humanity!

In fact, 120,000 years ago, there was a Neanderthal from Krapina in Croatia who suffered from neoplasia. And now, there’s a new discovery http://sajs.co.za/earliest-hominin-cancer-1-7-million-year-old-osteosarcoma-swartkrans-cave-south-africa/edward-j-odes-patrick-s-randolph-quinney-maryna-steyn-zach-throckmorton-jacqueline-s-smilg-bernhard in two South African cave sites that show evidence of cancer in our human ancestors dating back to 1.7 million years ago.

The world’s oldest discovered tumor was found on a Neanderthal from Krapina, Croatia.

The research involves two teams of scientists who specialize in human evolutionary anatomy, modern diseases, and the latest medical and research-based imaging techniques to study just how healthy (or unhealthy) our ancestors were, alongside what types of diseases commonly plagued them. They did this by combining the work of scientists who focus on dry or fossil bone with medical specialists who diagnose living humans.

Watch the video here:

Like on Facebook

Their discoverey is the earliest evidence of neoplastic disease (a.k.a the collective terms of cancer and tumors) in humans. However, it must be noted that much older tumors and cancers have been observed in fossils of non-hominins. In addition to that, other species can also get cancer.

A fossilized bone of a hominin child has evidence of the oldest malignant tumor.

In fact, the earliest case of benign neoplasia is an osteoma (or a new piece of bone growing from another piece of bone) from 300 million years ago in a fossil fish in North America! Later on, it was discovered that even Jurassic dinosaurs, Cretaceous hadrosaurs, and later European mammoths could also get benign tumors. And the earliest true cancer was found on a theropod dinosour from the late Jurassic era in Utah, USA.

In conclusion, while it’s true that the rates of tumor growth and cancer development is greatly sped up by environmental toxins and our modern lifestyle, it should be noted that these diseases have existed in the past, though to a lesser extent.

Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

March 14th Holiday – Pi Day or Something Else?

Table of Contents: Introduction: The Significance of the March 14th Holiday The Mathematical Marvel: Unraveling…

November 1, 2023

Mystery Of Missing Pages

Who made them disappear? What was the reason? Where did they go? Why? Gather round,…

July 26, 2023

Bees Kill Penguins by Stinging Them in the Eyes

Swarm of bees stings the eyes of penguins in Cape town 60 penguins died from…

November 16, 2021

2000 Kilogram Sunfish Caught Off North African Coast

A massive ocean sunfish measuring 2,000 kilograms was caught on North African Coast It is named Mola alexandrini or…

November 16, 2021

Man Embezzles $57K in COVID-19 Relief to Buy Pokemon Cards

A businessman in Georgia utilized the Covid-19 relief to buy a limited edition Charizard Pokemon card He committed…

November 8, 2021

Florida Man Catches and “Recycles” Alligator in Driveway

Man captures an alligator in his neighbor's yard in FloridaHe uses a trash can to…

November 1, 2021

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience.